Used clothes now as bulky waste: A step towards a sustainable future!

Used clothes now as bulky waste: A step towards a sustainable future!

Nowadays it is becoming increasingly important to find a sustainable way to use our resources. The textile industry is considered one of the biggest environmental polluters in the world. According to the Boston Consulting Group, around 120 million tons of clothing are discarded annually, with the industry responsible for about 20 percent of global water pollution. The textile industry produces around 270 kilograms of CO2 emissions per capita every year. In Europe, people buy an average of 26 kilograms of textiles per year, of which around 11 kilograms end up in the trash. In Germany there are an average of 60 items of clothing, many of which are rarely worn and often simply thrown away.

How General newspaper reports, there is now a new way to dispose of old clothing in an environmentally friendly manner in Alzey-Worms: This can now also be disposed of with bulky waste. This is intended to create an incentive to reduce the amount of waste and to put long-unused clothes back to useful use. This initiative falls into a larger context of promoting a circular economy in the textile sector.

The challenge of the textile industry

The challenges for the textile industry are enormous. The industry suffers from overproduction, short product life cycles and low recycling rates. An impressive 92 million tons of textile waste are produced globally every year, 73 percent of which either ends up in landfills or is incinerated. The ninety trillion liters of water used annually for textile production puts an enormous strain on our ecosystem. The industry is also estimated to produce between 2 and 8 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, underscoring the urgency of a rethink.

To address these issues, the “EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles” contains over 20 legislative initiatives aimed at making textile production more environmentally friendly. This includes the need to create long-lasting, repairable and recyclable products. The BMZ also promotes collaboration with companies to sustainably improve production standards.

The path to a sustainable textile industry

In order to promote the circular economy in the textile sector, all stakeholder groups must take action. Companies should develop circular business models and encourage consumers to choose high-quality, long-lasting textiles. Politicians are also required to set clear guidelines for resource conservation and environmental protection. The WWF has formulated eight strategic approaches, ranging from reducing overproduction to combating microfiber pollution.

Shifting responsibilities towards a more sustainable use of textiles is not only important for our environment, but also for the future of the textile industry. It is up to all of us to do our part. If everyone has a good knack for long-lasting and repairable clothing, then together we can make a big difference - including here in Cologne.